


Girl Trouble

by Anica



Series: Hanni-verse [33]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Ditching, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, KidHanni, Kissing, M/M, Mean Girls, Parental Advise, Post Mpreg, Teen Fights, Teen Stuff, TeenHanni, Will Knows, teen drama, teens making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-06
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-07 17:48:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1908144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anica/pseuds/Anica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For TheFallOfYang: I'd love to see some Teenage Hanni, like getting a girl/boyfriend or something because it would be hilarious.</p><p>Maybe not as hilarious for the teen, but those are not always fun years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With tons of thanks to TayoAnn for doing more than my high school ever did.
> 
> This story made me feel old. Let's think teens closer to the 00's than right now so no 16 and pregnant here.

Hanni Lecter, the boy with dark curls and darker eyes, had never failed to get the attention of the opposite sex. From the nurses at the hospital, to the mothers at the playground, to the little girls in his pre-k class, all seemed drawn to him.

This did not amuse the tyke as much as it did his fathers.

"Jenny kissed me today," Hanni whined as he watched his papa prepare dinner.

"Jenny is a very pretty young lady," Papa said as he moved around. "I hope you thanked her."

"No," Hanni frowned and looked over at his daddy. "I didn't want a kiss."

"But you like kisses," Will reminded him.

"I like daddy kisses," Hanni explained, and smiled up at Hannibal who raised a brow at him. "And papa kisses."

"I should hope so," the older man grumbled softly at him and bent forward to kiss the boy's hair. "Now tell us more about this young lady, Jenny."

"She's a girl," Hanni said helpfully.

"I had gathered as much," Hannibal said and smiled at the glare Will sent him. "Do you like her?"

"She only wants to play house but won't let me cook. She said it’s a mommy job and I told her I'm papa," Hanni explained.

"Beats playing daddy and setting the hous-" Will grinned at the older man who silenced him with a look. "Not everyone has a papa, Hanni. Some kids only have a daddy, remember?"

Hanni frowned. "If they only have a daddy, what do they eat then?"

"Why you little-" Will chased the laughing boy out of the room and through the house as Hannibal gave a sigh of defeat. No matter how much he tried to enforce rules on running, sometimes it could not be avoided. In all honesty he could not remember the last time the house was void of running or laughter and it’s absence would usually mean there was a little boy somewhere causing mischief.

Will came back into to the kitchen a short time later, a triumphant grin on his face as he took his spot behind the table and his papers.

"I still got it," Will said, a bit breathy, with just a hint of a flush on his cheeks. "I can still catch him."

"As your doctor, I suggest you resume your morning run with me," Hannibal said, a small, playful smile making his words light as he mixed the spices together.

"You are definitely mine, Dr. Lecter," Will said with a dreamy smile as he watched the other man. The expression clouded for just a moment. "Han?"

"Hm?"

"You don't think..." Will drifted off and Hannibal looked up. "You don't think he's gay, do you?"

"Many boys his age don't like to kiss girls," Hannibal chuckled. "Were you any different?"

"I always let Sarah Pinkman kiss me inside her play house," Will pointed out, with a touch of pride. She was the prettiest girl up until the third grade.

"And some thirty odd years later you're married to a man," Hannibal was quick to point out.

"I didn't marry you for your dick," Will said as he rested his chin in the palm of her hand. “Though I’m _certainly_ not complaining.”

“Some children know from their earliest years not only who they’re attracted to but things they might enjoy with that person,” Hannibal said as he whisked the gravy.

“And others don’t know until that person shows up at their door with a protein scramble,” Will said, chuckled as he came over to rest against the island.

“Open,” Hannibal instructed, holding up a spoon and Will did as he was told, without pause. He smiled at the explosion of flavor, eyes briefly closing. “Sometimes you don't know what it is you’re looking for until it's dropped at your feet."

"I wasn't dropped at your feet. I went willingly." Wills voice was a mixture of fire and ice against his lover's skin.

Hannibal’s hand went into his hair and he was pulled close. The kiss left the younger man humming happily as the chef resumed his work.

“Weren’t we talking about something?” Will asked, as he watched the other move around the room.

“Our son’s developing sexuality,” Hannibal said, pausing to look at him. “You seemed concerned. I never imagined you would have a problem if our son was, in fact, gay.”

“No,” Will frowned at him. “Of course not. Just …. I want grandkids.”

“Must I remind you, out of all people, that does not solely rest on our son’s sexual preference?” 

Will shrugged. Very little was known about male pregnancy, and even though Will wished to help, he refused to let himself or his son be studied. His son was just a regular little boy and deserved a little normality amidst the chaos that were his parents. “Though I’m not giving up my dream of you being called Pop-Pop”

“It does not matter who he chooses for his path, the end will be the same. Excitement, adoration, and certain heartbreak with a healthy dose of lust spread throughout,” Hannibal said softly, before he frowned at his husband. “I will not be Pop-Pop.”

“Heartbreak, huh?” Will sighed, as he glanced down.

“Certain heartbreak,” Hannibal repeated, his voice lacking the depth of pain that Will’s held. It wasn’t that didn’t care. Of course he did, but the boy had taught him there was very little that could be done to stop the future from coming and all they could really do was try to provide him with the tools he would need to get past those inevitable situations. 

A sudden scream for “Daddy,” held no urgency but was just what they needed to break the somber mood. Will smiled as he went to see what he was wanted for and to remind his son about yelling in the house except in emergencies.

*Future*

Almost ten years later, Hannibal’s predictions came into fruition, though there was an additional step that he had not seen coming; the kind of frustration and annoyance only a teen boy can possess.

“I hate Mrs. Billings,” fourteen year old Hanni grumbled as he threw his backpack on the kitchen table. He caught the glare from his papa and bit his lower lip. “Sorry.” He set the offending backpack gently on the chair. “I still hate her.”

Hannibal motioned for him to come closer and the boy did, a bit hesitant, but the stern expression shifted as he pulled the boy closer and dropped a kiss on his head. “Good afternoon, Hanni.”

“Good afternoon, Papa,” Hanni managed to smile.

Hannibal handed over a bowl of potatoes and a potato peeler. “Tell me what Mrs. Billings did to cause such disdain? “

“She made me marry, Olivia,” Hanni said, nonchalantly, and laughed as his father’s usually unchangeable face showed surprise. “It’s one of those projects to teach us life stuff.” The boy shrugged as he started to peel. “Boring stuff like you and Daddy do. Oh, and we get a baby. It’s going to suck so much.”

“Hannibal.” His papa’s voice held a final warning and suddenly the potatoes were very interesting. “Tell me about Olivia. Is she the same girl that starred opposite you in the play at the end of last year?”

“Yea, she played Wendy.” Hanni nodded. He had fun doing the play but would rather not do it again. Papa, for all the fancy shows he had dragged Daddy to, had loved the performance and kept a picture of Hanni and his green tights in his office. “She’s really annoying. She’s always hanging out by the track field and she’s always on her phone and taking pictures but only of herself or her food.”

“None of those things seem to affect you in any way,” Hannibal pointed out as he cut the fish. He glanced over and smiled at the boy’s pout.

“You just don’t get it, Papa,” Hanni said, the frustration in his voice amplified by the whine. “She and her friends are always so loud. She laughs at everything she says and she only reads celebrity magazines and watches reality TV shows.”

“You certainly know a lot about a girl you claim not to like.” Hanni shot the older man a glare which seemed to go unnoticed. “How long is this assignment to last?”

“Two weeks,” Hanni grumbled as he set the peeler down. “I’m going to fail.”

“You will not,” his father said with a certainty that had less to do with faith in the teenager and more of a warning. Hannibal did not expect perfect marks from the boy, but what he did expect was an honest show of effort.

“Fine, but I’m not naming my baby Hannibal!” The boy smiled and laughed when his father wrapped his arms around him from behind and swung him up.

“Does this mean all the potatoes are peeled?” Will asked from the doorway as he watched the two.

“Yes,” Hannibal chuckled, knowing how much the younger man hated most of the kitchen chores and stayed away till they were done. “You may dice them. Hanni, homework please.”

“It’s Friday,” Hanni reminded him. “And tomorrow I have to go to Olivia’s house to work on the project.”

“And unless you want to spend most of Sunday trying to get it done,” Daddy said as he shot his husband a dirty look but accepted the bowl of potatoes. “You should at least get a head start today.”

“We’ll do something fun on Sunday,” Hannibal promised.

“Fun or educational?” Hanni asked his dad, who chuckled and nodded towards the door. With a shake of his head, he left only to return sheepishly a few seconds later to get his backpack.

“Our little boy is married,” Will said with a dramatic sniffle.

“They grow up so fast.”

***

“Dad, can you ground me please?” Hanni asked when they pulled up outside of the address he had for Olivia.

“Why would I do that?” Will smiled at the look of pure anguish on the boy’s face.

“Because I would rather spend the day in my room than with her!” Hanni pouted. “Please?”

“No, come on, out you go,” Will said as he opened the door.

“Cock, donkey balls, asshole,” Hanni said, and grinned. “Am I grounded yet?”

“No,” Will snorted, and swatted at his thigh, playful but not without a bit of a sting. “But I might tell your Papa if you don’t stop.”

“No!” Hanni shook his head. “Wait! Will he ground me? Because you can call him now-”

“-out!” Will said sharply, and Hanni grumbled unhappily but opened the car door and got out. Will came around and fixed his son’s jacket. “Behave. You might actually enjoy yourself.”

“Yes, and you’ll enjoy dinner parties one day,” Hanni pouted. “It’s not too late to turn back and go for ice cream. My treat ...if I get an advance.”

“Ok, I’ve had just about enough of the whining,” Will told him seriously. “Are you done?”

“Yes, daddy,” Hanni nodded, and did his best look chastened but a smirked peeked through.

“Come on,” Will smiled and pulled him along, arm slung around his shoulders as they approached the house.

Will smiled at the girl that opened at the door, who returned it with a sleepy one of her own.

“Hi, Junior, Mr.… Lecter?” She winced. She knew he had two fathers but didn’t know if they had the same last name.

“Mr. Graham actually. It’s nice to meet you, Olivia,” Will said, and nudged his suddenly quite son.

Hanni seemed to snap out of the trance he was in. He had expected to see the girl from school. The one with too much make-up, tight clothing and a hyper personality. Instead he was faced with a girl in a hoodie and sweatpants, hair in a messy bun, and a small, charming smile. He barely recognized her, and suddenly he couldn’t wait for his dad to leave.

***

The boy Will picked up a few hours later, was different from the one he had left on the front steps of the modest sized house. It was the boy he had always known, minus the teenage petulance that the young Lecter had not been immune to, especially that morning.

Will had assumed that he would be forced to cover the teen’s mouth to keep the young girl and her family from hearing the tirade he was sure his son would lurch into once the door closed behind them. Instead the boy had been polite and well mannered, thanking her parents for their hospitality. Papa would have been proud. Daddy was suspicious.

“Well?” Will asked once they were in the car. “How was it?”

“It was good,” Hanni shrugged, eyes on his phone.

“Good?” Will asked, a bit surprised. “It was good?”

“Yeah,” the teen shrugged and looked up at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“That’s-” Will cut himself off and took a calming breath. “You were acting like you were going to your doom this afternoon, so what happened?”

“I don’t know,” Hanni said softly, and this time his shrug held uncertainty instead of indifference. He played around with his phone but hadn’t actually turned it on. “I just… she wasn’t … it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Will said, as tried his best to keep a knowing smile off his face. “Did you get all your work done?”

Hanni nodded and smiled as he glanced up at his dad. “I’m a police officer and she’s an artist. It’s kinda like you and Papa, right?”

“Yea,” Will smiled. “Sounds like you make a nice pair.”

“It’s just for school,” Hanni grumbled at him as he instantly lost his smile, eyes dropping to his phone once more.

“That’s what I meant,” Will said innocently.

“Oh,” Hanni’s frown depend and the teen wasn’t sure why.

***

“Daddy?”

Will looked up and smiled at Hanni. He closed the file he had been reviewing and set it aside before beckoning the boy over. He knew his son was about to ask for something. He was still and always would be daddy, but there was that extra sweetness dripping in the boy’s voice when he was about to try to get something from his old man.

“On Saturday, after Olivia and I are done with our project…” Hanni bit his lip as he paused. “Think you can take us to the movies?”

“Sure,” Will grinned. “What movie are we seeing?”

Hanni turned pink and he dropped his gaze. “Um, I was kind of hoping to be alone with her.”

“Well, maybe I’ll take your Papa to go see a movie,” Will said, because teasing the teen was much too easy sometimes.

“Daddy!” Hanni frowned, unsure if the older man was being serious or not.

Will burst out laughing as he grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him close. Most teens would throw a fit over being tickled like a little kid but Hanni just squealed and gave a weak protest.

“What is going on here?” Hannibal asked, from the doorway, as he observed the pair with a stony expression that could fool the whole world but not the laughing pair in the room.

“Our little boy has a date,” Will explained as he pulled the boy on to his lap and held on tight as Hanni squirmed and laughed.

“It’s not a date!” Their son protested as his dad’s arms tightened around him into a bear hug and he finally accepted defeat, relaxing into the hold.”We’re just friends.”

“Will you be paying for her movie?” Will asked.

“Yes,” Hanni said slowly before he turned to his papa for help. “But that’s what a gentleman would do. Right, Papa?”

“A gentleman would not take a lady to movie for their first date,” Hannibal said with clear displeasure as he neared the two.

“Oh, it’s not like they’re going to be doing anything but making out in the back row,” Will tilted his head to look at the boy. “That is what they still do, right?”

“I have homework to do,” Hanni blushed and started to squirm again.

Will laughed and let the boy go. Hanni was almost out of the room when he heard Daddy ask Papa if he was in a mood for a movie. He shook his head but couldn’t help glance back. Papa had leaned over Daddy and stole a kiss, and Daddy couldn’t look happier.

***

Will glanced in his rearview mirror and watched as his son and the young girl gave each other shy, nervous smiles.

“So, how’s the project coming along?” Will asked, in order to break the awkward silence.

“It’s good,” Olivia giggled. “We had twins. Junior wasn’t happy that they’re both girls.”

“Hannah the tenth just doesn’t sound right,” Hanni gave a playful groan. “We should just have more kids.”

“Hey,” Will cut in quickly. “Slow it down. First see if you can handle the twins.”

“He actually makes a real good daddy,” Olivia told him, and in the mirror Will caught the look of adoration as she glanced at his son, her cheeks colored slightly.

“I wonder where he got that from,” Will said lightly, as he glanced over his shoulder.

“TV,” Hanni replied, face scrunched up, and even at fourteen that look was adorable to the older man.

Will gripped his chest and pretended to be wounded to Olivia’s and Hanni’s amusement though the boy would never admit it.

***

“How was your date?” Hannibal asked his son as he entered the teen’s room.

“I’m not a little kid,” Hanni frowned at the two cups of hot cocoa his papa was holding.

“My mistake,” Hannibal did his best not to smile. “I’m sure Daddy-“

“-no! I mean...um,” the boy blushed. “Marshmallow fluff on top?”

Hannibal raised a brow and managed to look offended and amused all at once. As if he would dare bring a hot chocolate beverage to his son without a large spoonful of marshmallow fluff, lightly toasted on top.

The teen reached for the drink and Hannibal handed it over. Hanni took an appreciative sip, licking his lips before he set it down next to his tablet. He turned in his chair so he could face his father as the older man took a seat on his bed.

“Are you bribing me for information?” Hanni asked, as he remembered the lack of details he gave his dad in the car.

“Of course not,” Hannibal frowned, actually looking menacing as he spoke. “I have other ways of extracting information from you.”

The teen laughed. His father’s features were always so serious and grave, that he understood how others could mistake it for withdrawn or uncaring. The playfulness was easy to miss, and the doctor did nothing to help that. Hanni assumed others didn’t bother to really look and not that it simply wasn’t there for anyone else except for him and his father.

“Okay,” he held up his arms. “I’ll tell you. It was fine.”

“I’m going to take my cocoa back.”

“No!” Hanni grabbed his cup and held it close. “She talks during movies. Which is ok, because she’s not too loud and very funny but she was also texting. She dimmed the lights but it was still annoying. I mean it’s not like she missed any of the movie and had to ask me what was happening, it’s just …”

“Rude?” Hannibal supplied.

“No!” Hanni quickly defended, before frowning. “Maybe a little. It’s just … I wanted it to be…” Hanni blushed as he looked down at his cup.

“Just the two of you?”

Hanni nodded without looking back up at him.

“You know far better than I how little people pay attention to just one thing anymore,” Hannibal told him softly. “It was not that your company was not enough, it was just her being so used to multitasking.”

“But I never pay attention to my phone when I’m with my friends,” Hanni shot him a cheeky grin. “Of course I make sure it’s not you or dad before I ignore it.”

“You must keep in mind that every family has it’s own set of expectations. In our home you might have learned certain things with more emphasis than some of your peers ” Hannibal reminded him. Rudeness was most often seen as a much more serious transgression in their house than that of all of his friends. “You’ve never been too keen on social media. I imagine her feelings towards it are the same as yours when it comes to fishing and running track.”

“So I should ignore it?” Hanni raised a brow and hid behind his drink as his father took a sip of his.

“If it bothers you, then you might see if she is willing to compromise her time on the phone while she is with you, though sometimes we make exceptions for those we care about, and accept them for who they are.”

“What ‘compromises’ did you make for daddy?” Hanni asked, a wide grin in place.

“The number of parties I throw,” Hannibal shrugged, no longer bothered as he once was, but there was still a bit of wistfulness in his voice as he spoke. “Your papa was very popular a very long time ago.”

“So I’ve heard,” Hanni chuckled and scooped up some fluff with his fingers much to his father’s disgust and popped it in his mouth with a pleased sigh.

“Did you kiss her?”

Hanni blushed deeper than before and that was all the answer that his father needed.

“Will there be another date?”

“Maybe. I hope so,” Hanni shrugged.

“You could always invite her over for dinner,” Hannibal pointed out and his kindness was met with a glare.

Hannibal hid his smile behind his brandy laced chocolate drink.

***

“Hanni!” Olivia yelled from a few tables down which caused the boy to blush. It was always Junior and maybe Han on occasion, but his childhood nickname hadn’t been used by anyone else except his fathers since he was five. "Come sit with me!”

Hanni frowned at the table where she sat with a few girls that he knew and some that he had seen around but never spoken to.

“I usually have lunch with my team,” Hanni said with a nod towards where some of the track team sat though it wasn’t uncommon for other guys to join them.

“But I’m your girlfriend,” she pouted. “Don’t you want to eat with me?”

Hanni gave her a charming smile because anything else would be rude. “Of course I do,” he said, which wasn’t a complete lie. He would have loved to have lunch with her. It was having lunch with her and half a dozen other people that he didn’t care for.

He spent most of the next half hour being ignored while Olivia leaned against his side and talked about shows he was barely familiar with and the latest school gossip.

***

“What if your parents don’t like me?” Olivia whispered as they walked up to the house. Her hand slipped into his and he squeezed it.

“They will. Dad already likes you and he barely likes anyone.”

“Yea but he’s only been around me for just a little bit every time.” She chewed her lip nervously, and Hanni had an urge to kiss her and would have if his dad wasn’t walking a few feet behind them. “What if I say something wrong?”

“You won’t,” he gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t be nervous. I promise, they’ll like you.”

Olivia, like many people before her, took in the house with a bit awe. She gave Hannibal a shy smile as Hanni lead her into the kitchen. 

“You have a beautiful house, Dr. Lecter,” she told him and blushed when he took her hand and gave a small bow to kiss it. His sandy hair was mostly gray and there were a few more wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled, but it did not take away from the striking image he had always presented.

“Knock it off,” Hanni growled softly, a bit jealous at the shy look she was sending the older man.

“Yeah, knock it off,” Will agreed, though he was obviously very amused.

“You’ll have to forgive my husband and son,” Hannibal winked at the girl. “They tend to be rude when they are hungry.”

“Can we help?” she asked as she looked around the kitchen. “I love to cook.”

Hannibal gave an approving smile, as he assigned the teens small tasks before excusing them so they could finish up their report.

***

Will tapped gently on the door to the family room before opening it.

“Can I see you for a second?” Will asked softly, not missing the way that both teens blushed and avoided his eyes.

“What is it Dad?” Hanni asked once they were in the hallway.

“I want that door to stay open,” Will said, voice low, knowing the boy would be even more embarrassed if Olivia overheard them speaking.

“We weren’t doing anything,” Hanni said, and blushed an even deeper shade of red.

“Ah-ha,” Will couldn’t resist a small laugh as he tussled the boy’s hair. “Then it shouldn’t be a problem to keep it open. Are you almost done?”

“Wrapping up our retirement plan,” Hanni said, thankful for the change of subject. “She doesn’t want to retire and live on a boat.”

“Not everyone is as understanding as your papa,” Will said, as he let the boy return to his homework.

***

“What’s it like having two fathers?” Olivia asked softly as she looked at the large picture that hung in the hallway. It was from their wedding ceremony, one where Hanni happily sat on Will’s shoulders, much too thrilled by his new cape to notice the way the two men looked at each other. 

“It really isn’t different at all,” Hanni said, feeling like an authority on the subject. There was a short period in his youth when he spent as much time as he could in the houses of his friends, trying to figure out what it was like to have a mother. For every trait he thought he saw in them, he found one in his fathers. “There isn’t anything they wouldn’t do for me. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be like?” 

“Yea, I guess,” she giggled. “So does that mean they don’t sit around in their underwear and yell at the TV?”

“No,” Hanni shook his head as unwanted images made him groan and laugh all at once.

“Shame,” she said, and the boy couldn’t tell if she was teasing him or not, until she laughed again and kissed him until the sound of foot steps forced them to pull apart. 

***

“What did you think of her?” Hanni asked nervously as he leaned against his papa’s armchair.

“She seemed like a very nice young lady,” Hannibal said as he made some final touches to an email he was sending and put the tablet away to give the unhappy boy his full attention.

“Nice?” Hanni frowned. “That’s it?”

“She was very pleasant and seemed like a genuinely sweet girl,” Hannibal said and felt no need to include that the girl’s obsession with her phone was a bit concerning.

“Really?” Hanni gave him a wide smile, eyes lit with relief and joy.

“Yes, really,” Hannibal said as he snaked a hand around the boy’s waist and gave him a smile of his own. “She was a pleasure to have as a guest.”

“Really?” Hanni couldn’t help but bouncing with excitement over his papa’s approval.

“Yes,” Hannibal said, giving the boy a small shake and growl. “Go to sleep.”

“Aw, five more minutes,” Hanni pleaded playfully as if he wasn’t dressed in his dad’s old police t-shirt and a pair of shorts, ready to turn in for the night.

“Bed,” Hannibal repeated and tugged the boy on to his lap, arms tightly around him as he placed a kiss against his temple. “Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, Papa,” Hanni said, but laid his head on the man’s shoulder for just a few beats before giving him a kiss. He left to find his daddy and interrogate him on the subject of Olivia.

***

“What did you really think of the girl?” Will asked as he sank down onto the couch across from his husband.

“Just what I told Hanni,” Hannibal said, as he rose to pour them both a drink. “A sweet and nice young girl.”

“But is she right for our boy?” Will asked, head against the couch, as he watched the older man move, watched the muscles in the forearms tighten as he raised the heavy glass bottle of whiskey and poured him two fingers. Always graceful, with a touch of erotic and quiet power.

“Will anyone ever be right for our boy?”

“Yes,” Will gave him a hard look as he took the glass from him.

“But not Olivia?” Hannibal asked and sat next to his husband, his own drink in hand.

“I don’t know,” Will shrugged. “They’re too young to pass judgment on. The way I was in high school, who I was ten years later, and then again ten years after that…”

“One must either find someone who will change and grow with them, or be forced to leave them behind,” Hannibal said as he sipped his drink.

“I want him to grow,” Will said softly. “I don’t want him to change. He’s such a good kid.”

“Perhaps he will be the one to inspire a change in her,” Hannibal reasoned and Will couldn’t argue with that. He liked the girl, but like most teens, she wore her emotions in plain view where he could pick up on them. A bit rude, demanding, with a mean streak but also sweet, kind and loving. Perfectly normal for her age. 

“Should we have that talk with him again?”

“The first time was awkward enough for the both of you.”

“Would be awkward for you too,” Will muttered, “if you weren’t a sociopath.”

Hannibal smiled as he placed his glass on the floor, one of the few small things that changed over the years, and stretched until his head was on Will’s lap. Once the younger man’s hand found its way into the soft, graying strands, he seemed to instantly relax. Will’s hand ran down the sharp cheekbones and his thumb brushed the bottom lip of his lover.

“Let’s go to bed,” Will whispered.

“Let’s not,” Hannibal whispered back, as he gripped Will’s sweater and tugged him down until their lips met.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ditching can be done with anyone - getting caught should be done with friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit Hanni-centric. Sorry?

Olivia met Hanni at his locker between third and fourth period. She kissed him, and even though it was a little more than a peck, it was in front of his friends and everyone that happened to be passing by. That made the teen feel pretty cool.

“My friends are going to Starbucks,” she whispered, leaning in close and making it hard for him to focus on her words. “You’re coming with us, right?”

“I have class,” he said dumbly, since even when it was lunch, only the seniors were allowed to leave the school grounds.

“I know, me too,” she giggled and pulled back, smiling.

“I don’t drink coffee,” he admitted, and gave his friends a nod to go on without him.

“There are other things there,” Olivia said, and her smile instantly turned into a pout. “I don’t want to wait ‘til the weekend to be alone with you.”

“But we’re not going to be alone,” he pointed out with a bit of resentment, already aware on some level that he was going to end up agreeing.

“My friends will give us plenty of space,” she said, and her hand slipped into his. “I promise, it’ll be fun. Don’t worry, we do it all the time.”

Hanni was powerless once her hand touched his. He quickly found himself actually enjoying the whole experience. From the rush of sneaking out of school, to the thrill of being somewhere he shouldn’t, it was all new and exciting. He had always been a good kid, except the few occasions when he wasn’t, and though he had been nervous at first, every kiss he got from Olivia filled him with courage. That courage lasted up to the moment they returned and ran into their assistant principal as she snuck out for her afternoon smoke.

***

“I’m very disappointed in you,” Will said after almost ten minutes of driving in complete silence.

“Sorry,” Hanni mumbled automatically, refusing to meet the older man’s gaze.

“What was so important that you had skip your classes?” Hanni only shrugged in response which got an annoyed growl from his father. “You go to school to learn, not to hang out with your friends!”

“I know,” Hanni muttered softly, playing with the button on his sleeve.

“Was this the first time you snuck out or the first time you got caught?”

“First time, dad,” Hanni said in an annoyed fashioned only teens could pull off, making it sound as if his father was the one at fault.

“Watch your tone,” Will warned, and fixed the boy with a look that had him shrinking in his seat. “Whose idea was this?”

“Hm?” Hanni asked, playing dumb.

“Whose idea was it to sneak out?” Will asked again, slowly as they pulled up to their house.

Hanni shrugged, and gave the answer away in that moment, though the profiler had already come to that same conclusion. He had been given the names of all the kids Hanni had been caught with, and Olivia was the only one he had recognized.

“Are you going to agree to everything she asks you to do?” Will asked, voice rising as he turned in his car seat to glare at the boy.

“It’s not like that!” Hanni yelled. He got out of the car and slammed the car door behind him.

“I wasn’t done with you!” Will followed, barely able to stop himself from slamming the door closed himself.

“I don’t want to talk to you!” Hanni yelled over his shoulder as he threw open the front door.

“That’s fine,” Will shot back angrily. “Go to your room.”

“I was going there anyway!” Hanni continued to yell as he stomped up the stairs.

“Stop!” Hanni froze on the stairs. “I want your phone.”

Hanni was tempted to throw it at his father but knew that would mean he would not get another one until he was old enough to pay for it on his own. He slowly walked down the stairs, glaring at the ground until he was close enough to hand it over.

“Bring me your tablet, and then you can stay in your room until I come to get you.”

Hanni groaned and resisted the urge to kick at the ground or the banister as he went to his room to get his computer. Alone in his room with nothing but books, some childhood toys and happy family pictures, he had very little to distract him from the day’s events.

***

It was evening and close to dinner when Will knocked on his son’s door. He waited for the invitation and found the sulking teen sitting with his legs crossed on the bed, a comic book in his hands, though it looked like he had been leafing through it instead of reading it.

“Ready to talk now?” Will asked, sitting down on the bed.

Hanni gave a sheepish nod. It never took him long to come around after a fight with his parents. With anyone really, learning from an early age to be mindful of other’s views and to reconsider his own. He would stand by them if he still thought they were valid, but in this case he didn’t think they were.

“Good,” Will said, a small, warm smile spread across his face as he spoke. Seeing that there wouldn’t be another confrontation or shouting match quickly dispelled the tension caused by the earlier fight. “I like Olivia. She is a really nice girl. I would never blame her for the decisions you’ve made.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Hanni said softly.

“No, I imagine it wasn’t,” Will told him. “No one forced you to do it. The decision was yours, and I expected more from you. There will always be peer pressure but no one else will be able to take responsibility for the choices you make.”

“It was just a few classes,” Hanni muttered, as he dropped his gaze.

“It’s like you haven’t heard a word I just said,” Will said, voice dropping a few notches in frustration and all the warmth seeped out.

“No, I did!” Hanni’s eyes quickly went up to connect with his father’s. “I did. I just … I didn’t think it would be of a big deal.”

“You didn’t think sneaking out, missing classes, and leaving school without letting your father or myself know where you were going wasn’t a big deal?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Hanni pouted. “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t think about all those things.”

Will accepted that with a simple nod. Getting the teen to acknowledge what he had done was wrong went a lot further than any threats or shouting ever would. He beckoned the boy over, and without any hesitation, Hanni slid closer, letting his father put an arm around his shoulders.

“Men have been doing stupid things to win women’s favor for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s part of our DNA at this point,” Will said, as he squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “I don’t want that to be an excuse. It shouldn’t be the driving factor when you make a decision. There is nothing wrong with being an individual and going against the group mentality”

“Daddy, it’s been so long since you’ve been a teenager,” Hanni chuckled as he rested his face against the man’s shoulder for a moment before pulling back and giving him a curious look. “What did you do to win Papa’s favor?”

“I was pretty,” Will winked at his son.

“He was brilliant,” Hannibal said from the doorway. “He is still the smartest person I’ve have ever met.” It was said with little warmth, the doctor clearly upset as he looked from the boy over to his husband. “If you’re done with him, I want him to set the table.”

“I’m done with him,” Will said, as he patted Hanni on the back. “Go.”

Hanni shot him a worried look as the older man walked away. Papa did not look happy at all. “How bad?”

“Stop,” Will gave a soft, amused snort as he rose and pulled the boy up with him. “He’s reasonably upset, but he has calmed down a lot.”

Hanni gave a resigned sigh, but paused before moving away from his father. “I’m sorry about that whole thing in the car,” he said, looking up at him.

“I know,” Will said, pleasantly surprised because he hadn’t been expecting an apology for the attitude, at least not without prompting. He dropped a kiss on the boy’s head before giving him a gentle push towards the door, where the teen paused again.

“This is in no way related to what I just said… but when can I get my phone back?”

“After dinner,” Will told him as he came up behind him. “But only because your project is due tomorrow. No tablet or internet for the rest of the week. Same goes for the TV.”

“I need to watch the Cosmos for school. And MythBusters!”

“Nice try,” Will smiled, giving his a small nudge to encourage him to move but the boy paused once more after just a step.

“Do I have to stay in my room after dinner?” Hanni asked, unable to hold back a pout at the idea of having to spend more time in there, alone, without access to the internet.

“That’s up to Papa so don’t keep him waiting.”

***

Hannibal had been deeply bothered by the fact that his young son had left school without permission. He liked to know where Hanni was throughout the day. It didn’t matter how old the boy was, the thought of his son getting hurt in some random part of town was very disconcerting to the doctor, as it would be to any parent.

“Sorry,” Hanni said softly, fiddling with silverware as he stood in the kitchen.

His apology was met with a heavy silence. Hannibal had no intention of rehashing the conversation he was sure his husband had with the boy, but he was definitely not letting the boy off the hook just because he apologized, even if he did have to admit that Hanni looked remorseful.

“It’ll never happen again.”

“You’ve just started high school,” Hannibal said, aware that the worst of the teen rebellion was still ahead of them. “I’m not doubting your sincerity but I rather you don’t break my trust along with rules.”

“But I won’t do it again,” Hanni insisted, catching himself when he heard the whine in his voice. “All right, what if I promise to call you before I ditch?”

“Will that not defeat the purpose?” Hannibal asked, surprised and pleased by the boy’s offer.

“I guess,” Hanni shrugged, still looking at the forks and knives he had been holding. “I rather get in trouble than have you worried.”

Hannibal chose not to point out ways in which to avoid both. “You’re going to choose the certainty of a punishment over the chance of getting away with your crime and no one being the wiser?”

“As long as you don’t show up and drag me away in front of everyone,” Hanni made his point with the knives in his hand as he finally looked up.

“That will depend on the situation,” Hannibal said lightly, as he thought it over. Kids skipped class. It was an almost normal part of childhood development. It would let the boy learn to take responsibility for his own education. This, and Hannibal did trust the boy to be honest, would insure that he would not have to worry about his son’s safety. At least, not in regard to sneaking around.

“Deal,” Hanni agreed, shifting the silverware around until his hand was free. He stretched it out towards his father, making his word into a legal contract between the two, just like Daddy taught him. Hannibal needed little else except his word but accepted the handshake, looking as severe as before, knowing it would only hurt the boy’s feelings if it looked like he was being humored.

“Then we can consider the matter settled.”

Dinner started out slow, the teen still feeling like his parents were upset with him and hating it, but before long conversation picked up and didn’t waver once. After dinner, once all the dishes were washed, they took Darcy and Harley, a blue heeler mix the boy found a few years ago, for a walk. Hanni held the leashes and lead the way as his fathers followed behind, sometimes they even held hands.

Those nightly walks had become a family tradition, and there was very little that could stop them.

***

“I’m sorry about today,” Olivia said, her voice soft and slightly sleepy as it came through the phone. “I swear we’ve never seen Mrs. Batista out there before. Guess we were gone longer than usual.”

“It’s ok,” Hanni told her. “I had fun. I like spending time with you.”

“Yeah, I thought it was worth it,” she sighed. “Did you get in trouble?”

“A little,” Hanni shrugged even though there was no one to see it. “How about you?”

“They said I can’t hang out with you this weekend.” she giggled. “My parents think you’re a bad influence.”

“What?” Hanni sat up in his bed. He didn’t think any part of that was the least bit funny.

“Calm down,” she laughed, and he could tell she was rolling her eyes. “They’ll get over it by Sunday.”

“But why do they think this was my fault? You told them it wasn’t my idea, right?”

“Well...” She paused. “I couldn’t tell them it was Amber and Jenna. If they knew, they would think we do this all the time.” She went on before he could point out that she did do it quite often if what she and her friends had told him was true. “I wouldn’t be allowed to hang with them anymore.”

“But it’s fine if they don’t let you see me?” Hanni asked, and couldn’t help feeling hurt.

“Like I said,” she spoke slowly, as if he was having trouble understanding her. “They’ll be over it by the weekend. Okay?”

“Yeah, but…” Hanni stopped. He didn’t like the fact that her parents thought he was a bad influence on her, especially over something that wasn’t even his idea. It also stung that while he had tried to protect her when it came to his fathers, she had thrown him under the bus.

“But what?” she asked when he didn’t go on.

“But it’s not true,” Hanni frowned, in his darkened bedroom.

“It’s just my parents,” she snorted. “Who the hell cares what they think anyway? Even if they don’t want us seeing each other this weekend, I’ll just tell them I’m meeting the girls at the mall.”

“I guess,” Hanni said, wondering why he had so much trouble lying to his parents when others didn’t seem to care at all.

“It’ll be fun,” she said happily. “We can go shopping or watch another movie.” She giggled. “Or not watch it.”

“Hanni,” Will said from the doorway. He spoke softly, knowing the teen would not appreciate it if anyone overheard him but still with enough edge that the boy knew he was serious. “You’re only allowed to use the phone to discuss your project, remember? Are you two done?”

Hanni glared at him as he wrapped up the call, though deep down he knew who he was really upset with.

***

“Think we were too hard on him?” Will asked as the lights were turned off in their room.

“Not at all,” Hannibal told him as he moved closer to the younger man. “A few restrictions is hardly anything to be concerned about when the boy left school without a word to either of us.”

“You think I went easy on him.”

“I would never question your judgment,” the older man replied honestly, fingers running down the other’s arms. “I think it would have been best if they spent the weekend apart, but who am I to stand in the way of young lust?”

Will groaned, not ready to imagine his little boy being sexually active to any degree.

“Maybe it’s time we reconsider the whole homeschooling thing,” Will said, moving until his head was on his husband’s chest. His fingers played with the gray, coarse strands as he buried a kiss there. Long fingers ran gently up and down his spine, making him shiver.

“It is very tempting,” Hannibal sighed, buried his face in the soft curls, and breathed in the honey scent. “But we can’t keep our boy locked away from the world.”

“We could try.”

Hannibal chuckled and let his arms tighten around the man that he still found himself falling for. It was in every smile, touch and brilliant insight, and though he wasn’t ready to let his little boy go, it was all he wanted for his son.

One day, when he was older, and knew himself well, he would find someone who completed him.

***

Hanni had been upset and hurt on Friday, but by Sunday, he had gotten over it. Maybe it was because time did heal wounds, maybe it was because he had always been taught to never hold a grudge or maybe it had something to do with the afternoon they spent in the back of the parking lot instead of going to watch a movie. She had straddled his lap and they had spent hours learning how the other liked to be kissed. It had been sweet and innocent to the people that walked by, remembering their first romantic encounters, but it was passionate and exciting for the two teens. The hickey on his neck made him feel mature.

“What movie did you see?” Will asked as they drove home.

“Umm..” Hanni panicked, trying to remember what movies had been playing.

“Yeah,” Will winked at his son. “That’s what I thought.”

Hanni blushed and sunk in his seat with a groan. “Sometimes it really sucks having a profiler for a father.”

“It has absolutely nothing to do with me being a profiler,” Will told him, reaching out to tousle his hair and laughing when he got another groan. “Just remember you’re only fourteen and there’s no need to rush anything.” Will focused on the road, and not letting discomfort bleed into his voice. “If there’s anything you want to talk about, your papa and I are always available.”

Hanni buried his face in his hands and pretended his father wasn’t referring to him having sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support. More teenHanni drama soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First fight and parental disapproval of his girlfriend. Hanni isn't having a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Disney channel was on yesterday and ... yea, so not that. Think Mean Girls - not just the movie, but the real life ones. 
> 
> I also self-edited this chapter mostly, so the blame is on me.

To Hanni making out with his girlfriend had to be one of the best things about having one. Finding new places to be alone; to kiss, to fumble around a bit or maybe to just talk sometimes, was a game the two loved to play. The forgotten bathroom on the fourth floor that no one ever used, under the stairs on the first floor, the janitors closet that was being used for storage in the back of the music room and of course, pretty much anywhere in the library.

Hanni loved those times, every single moment of them.

Any time that involved Olivia and her friends, was mind numbingly boring and at times upsetting to the teenage boy.

“Seriously, she just needs to put the cupcake down and walk away. Or maybe jog away,” Olivia giggled as she pointed to girl a few tables over. “I mean as soon as I started being not normal I just wouldn’t eat for like a week.”

Hanni frowned at her as she high fived with her friends. He had known the girl, Allie, from a few shared classes, and they had even worked on a paper together for their English class. He thought she was smart, kind of funny and couldn’t see what they were making fun of. She might not have not been boney but she was far from fat, and even if she had been, he didn’t think that gave them the right to make fun of her. 

“Yesterday she had like three slices of pizza,” one of Olivia’s friends said, leaning in closer to the group and lowering her voice just a bit as if she was sharing a heavily guarded secret.

“Maybe someone should teach her the cheerleader diet,” Olivia said, and imitated gagging sounds while she put a finger in her mouth as her friends laughed a bit too loudly.

“Maybe someone should mind their own business and not worry about what other people are doing or what they’re eating” Hanni muttered and brought the table to a standstill.

“What did you say?” Olivia asked, eyes narrowing as she glared at him. He can feel everyone else at their table glare at him as well but she was his only concern.

“Nothing,” Hanni said, with a shake of his head.

“Oh, no, that was definitely something!” And that, again, was a bit too loud for Hanni’s liking.

***

“What’s wrong?” Hannibal asked as the obviously upset teen got into his car. Hanni wasn’t always cheerful after a long day of school and track practice but the somber look was not a common occurrence.

“Nothing,” Hanni said sharply, not exactly snapping at his father but not far from it either.

Hannibal decided not to push, trusting his son to come to him when he calmed. They drove in silence as the boy glared out of the window. It was only once they neared their house that the teen turned to his father and sighed.

“Papa, what do you do when you and daddy have a fight?”

Hannibal almost unconsciously pulled his lower lip between his teeth as he considered the question. “We give each other space. It gives us time to calm down and think about the situation. Would you like to talk about it?”

“No. It’s nothing,” Hanni shrugged. “What if you did nothing wrong, but daddy is still mad at you?”

“There is a difference between thinking I did nothing wrong and actually doing nothing wrong,” Hannibal pointed out with a small smile. Those simple words were at the core of the majority of their disagreements over the years.

“So… I might have done something wrong?” Hanni asked.

“I could not possibly know,” his father reminded him. “That being said, what have I told you about apologies?”

“That a gentleman will apologize even if he didn’t mean to upset the people around him,” Hanni said softly as they parked. “But that can’t always be the case. I mean I didn’t mean to upset anyone but … I guess I did.”

“Explain,” Hannibal requested, as he turned to his son, unable to stop a small frown from slipping into place. He hadn’t raised his son to knowingly upset anyone.

“Olivia and her friends,” Hanni actually winced as he spoke. “They were talking about Allie, saying some mean stuff and I told them to mind their own business.”

“Maybe the way you put it was not appreciated, but you should never worry about standing up for others,” Hannibal smiled and cupped his son’s face. “For that I am very proud of you and I know your daddy is going to feel the same way.”

Hanni beamed a bit with pride as his father kissed his forehead before moving back to exit the car. He followed, with a deep sigh when he realized he still had bit of a dilemma when it came to Olivia.

“What should I do about Olivia?” Hanni asked as he jogged around the car to catch up to the older man.

“Give her time. You can call her tonight or better yet, wait until tomorrow. Some things are better done in person. You can explain that what you said did not come from a place of malice,” Hannibal said as he put his arm around the boy. “And that being upset and handling it poorly is no excuse for your behavior.”

“What if she makes fun of me?”

Hannibal sighed and squeezed his shoulder. “Our beloved must never laugh at us, only with us.”

“She’ll definitely laugh if I said something like that,” Hanni snorted softly.

***

“Not during dinner,” Hannibal reprimanded his son gently after the boy checked his phone for the fifth time in under ten minutes.

Hanni groaned and slid the phone back into his pocket, frustrated and upset by the situation. Talking to his father had helped him feel better about the fight but as the day started to come to an end, he had started to miss the steady flood of text messages he and Olivia would exchange in the evenings. It would be random texts, not following any sort of conversational flow, quickly switching topics, and forcing him to keep up. Knowing she was upset made him long for the distraction they provided. 

Hanni tapped his hand impatiently against his thigh as he waited for Papa to switch courses before checking his phone. Daddy sighed loudly, reminding the teen that he was still present and that he didn’t approve of the boy being glued to his phone during dinner any more than Papa.

Hanni covered up his guilt with a wide grin as he slipped the phone once more into his pocket and focusing on his glass of water.

“Papa told me a bit about what happened,” Will said, as he leaned in closer to the table. “But I still don’t understand what happened.”

“Shouldn’t gossip,” Hanni grumbled and it would have been light-hearted and impish if not for the fact that he wouldn’t meet his dad eyes.

“It isn’t gossip when we talk about you.” Will gave him a playful kick underneath the dining room table. “Besides, we barely talk ever about you. You’re not that interesting.”

“Liar,” Hanni said, trying to remain sullen but finding it hard to not laugh so he settled on a smile. As far as he was concerned, his fathers had very little going on in their own lives.

“I’m waiting,” Will told him with another kick which got a small yelp from the boy.

“Papa, Daddy is kicking me,” Hanni complained as soon as the kitchen door opened.

“You probably deserved it,” Hannibal reasoned, first serving his husband and then his son.

“He won’t explain what happened with Olivia.”

Hanni looked from Daddy to Papa, both waiting to see what he had to say. He sighed, and picked up his fork, stalling as he took a bite of the pancetta-wrapped leek on his plate. A moment later, when he swallowed they were still looking at him. His shoulders slumped and he leaned back against the seat.

“They were making fun of Allie,” Hanni shrugged as he considered what to tell them. “They kept talking about how much she eats and about being fat. I told them to mind their own business and that’s-” 

“-wait,” Will interrupted, giving first Hannibal a hard look and then his son. “Why were they picking on her? Did she do something to them?”

“No,” Hanni admitted quietly. He had only been hanging out with Olivia, and by default, her friends for a few weeks, but if something happened between her and Allie it would be something she told him about. Probably more than once. 

“When you told me they were talking about her, I was under the impression that there was a personal spat between them, not an unprovoked attack,” Hannibal explained. He had imagined it was just a normal disagreement between two teenage girls and had brought it to Will’s attention in the same fashion.

Hanni remained quiet, toying with the food on his plate, wishing they would switch the subject.

“Is this kind of behavior common for Olivia and her friends? Do they pick on others often for no reason?” Will asked, trying not to let his irritation show, or his own high school run-ins with cliques of mean girls cloud his judgment.

Hanni shrugged again, picking on just one person might not have been something he observed often, but passing remarks about almost everyone weren’t uncommon at all. He just never really paid much attention to it before.

“Look, Hanni,” Will said, getting the teens attention and forcing him to look up. “I’m very proud of you for not joining in, but it sounds to me like they were being malicious. They are not the kind of people I want you spending your free time with.”

“What?” Hanni’s eyes grew large and his voice began to rise. “You don’t even know them! You can’t tell me who to be friends with!”

“I’m not,” Will said, voice even and calm, which angered the teen more. “I just want you to consider who it is you are friends with.”

“I don’t care about them,” Hanni said, all but throwing his fork down on to his plate. “They’re Olivia’s friends.”

“So she’s an innocent party in all of this?”

“She’s not like them!” Hanni argued, too upset to consider his words. “She’s nice and funny and I don’t care if you don’t like her, she’s my girlfriend!”

“Calm down, I didn’t say I didn’t like her,” Will said as his eyes narrowed on the boy. “I was simply wondering why she would be upset with you and what you said if apparently she wasn’t participating when they were mocking the other girl.”

“She…” Hanni glared down at this plate, unwilling to lie and say she was innocent of it all but also unwilling to give the men any more reason to think negatively of her. “It’s just when she’s with them.”

“That should not matter,” Hannibal said, the only one truly calm at the table. “Please pick up your fork and finish your dinner. “

“I’m not hungry,” Hanni muttered. “Can I be excused?”

“You leave the table and the only place you’re going to is bed,” Will said, voice almost challenging the boy to push the subject.

“It’s not even eight!” Hanni argued and looked over to the doctor, pleading silently for help.

Hannibal resisted the urge to smile since it was rare for their son to turn to him for backup. If he thought the situation was something that would last past the evening, he wouldn’t have been amused but being a student of human nature he had no doubts this would resolved before too long. “You only had one bite. You do not need to finish your meal but you’re going to have eat a little more if you want to be excused.”

“Isn’t fair,” Hanni muttered as he picked up his fork. It would have been a lot easier to stick to his guns and make his point if the food wasn’t was so delicious. He would just have to make his point over dessert… unless it contained carmel. 

Will watched the boy jab at his food, being careful not to scratch the plate, but with enough force to show his fathers he was unhappy. The profiler felt bad for upsetting his son but also felt like it had to be done. His son was a caring, decent person, and he might have been biased in his view, but he knew his son was incapable of hurting others, at least not without provocation. If he spent his time around those that took pleasure in bringing others down, then it might influence him as well. He had already proven that he was not immune when it came to peer pressure.

***

“The next fight about Olivia is all yours,” Will grumbled as he stood by the sink and watch the other wash the dishes.

“He seemed so upset by what had happened and his role in it, I assumed that it was an ongoing argument between two groups of girls,” Hannibal explained, feeling slightly foolish for having missed the obvious and having to admit it.

“No offense, but between the all-male orphanage and the boarding school, when did you really have first-hand experience with teenaged girls?”

“Point made,” Hannibal grumbled, reluctantly acknowledging that outside of textbooks, he was limited when it came adolescent girls and Will couldn’t help but laugh when the scowl came dangerously close to being a pout. He grabbed a towel and made sure to bump his shoulder against the older man as he started to dry the dishes.

“I can’t say I approve of her,” Will said when he took the last dish out of his husband’s hand. “But I don’t want his first relationship to become some sort of rebellion against me.”

“Really, Will,” Hannibal frowned at him. “You need to give our son more credit than that. He needs time to consider what was said and how he will proceed.” 

“I guess,” Will admitted with a heavy sigh.

“I’d hate to think the only reason you married me was to defy your father.”

“God, I hate psychiatrists,” Will groaned, smacking Hannibal with the towel. When Hannibal only smiled, he hit him again.

***

“Are you awake?” Will asked softly, after knocking on his son’s door and getting a barely audible grumble in response.

“No,” Hanni muttered, facing away from the door and the hallway lights.

Will rolled his eyes and sat down next to the teen, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to upset you, buddy.”

“I’m not upset.”

“You’re not, hu?” Will smiled and shook the shoulder he had been holding. “Then why don’t you turn around and look at me?”

Hanni couldn’t help looking sullen and annoyed as he turned on to his back and looked up at his father. “She’s not as bad as you made her out to be. She’s not mean or cruel. It’s not like she was yelling that stuff at Allie if front of everyone.”

“Yes, that would have been worse but it doesn’t make what she did any more right,” Will said gently. “Hanni, that isn’t why I’m here. I have no intention of telling you who to be friends with, at least not under these circumstances. I just want you to be careful, all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“It means I don’t want you thinking what they did is okay, whether they’re being disrespectful to people behind their back or to their face, it isn’t acceptable. Not in this house.”

“I know,” Hanni whispered, looking away. “I wouldn’t.”

“I know that,” Will leaned over and kissed the boy’s forehead. “As for Olivia, I’m going to trust you since you know her better than I do.”

“She really is good,” Hanni said with a bit too much effort for Will’s liking.

“I believe you,” Will said, and he did. He knew a difference a pack mentality might have on a person. It was what he worried about. “I’m sure you’ll work it out tomorrow. Did she call?”

Hanni shook his head.

“Dealing with these things is always best when it’s face to face,” Will said standing up and reaching over to run his hand once through the boy’s curls. “Get some sleep.” He paused in the doorway, “And I mean sleep so put your phone away or I’ll start changing the Wi-Fi password every night. Again.”

Hanni gave a dramatic groan and pulled his phone out from under him where he had stashed it when his father knocked, placing it back on the charger.

“Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, Hanni.”

Will smiled as he closed his son’s door most of the way, leaving it cracked for the dogs, before realizing that even though things with his son were settled, it still left matter of a certain teen girl. He hoped he was doing the right thing by trusting his son. It was really his only option if he didn’t want to damage the relationship they had.

***

“I guess we were being kind of rude,” Olivia admitted as they stood in one of their hideouts, looking surprisingly guilty.

“So was I,” Hanni shrugged, blushing when he met her eyes. “I’m really sorry. Do your friends hate me?”

“A little. We had a bit of a boy-bashing rant yesterday that lasted half the night,” she said with a shrug and a smile. “But they’ll get over it. They’ll have to. You’re my boyfriend. You are still my boyfriend, right?”

“Yes!” Hanni blushed again at enthusiasm in his voice. “I mean, you still want me to be right?”

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Olivia said, huffing as if she hadn’t made up her mind as soon as they started talking.

“Think it’s ok if I sit with my friends today at lunch?” Hanni asked, because he had missed the guys and really had no desire to sit in awkward silence as her friends glared at him. He did not need his father’s understanding of empathy to know what lunch with angry teen girls would be like.

“You don’t want to eat with me?” She frowned.

“With you,” he told her quickly and took her hand. “Maybe we can have lunch alone?”

She smiled as if he had asked her to prom, pushed him against the wall and kissed him until the tardy bell rang.  
Hanni couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. It wasn’t often that he was right and his fathers were wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheerleader diet is a thing - but it involves eating healthy and exercising. I corrupted it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes a bit more time but Will's words finally sink in. Family fluff follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did my best with the editing, let me know what I missed.

“Hey, kiddo,” Will Graham said cheerfully as he stuck his head into his son’s bedroom. “Want to go watch a movie tonight? Just you and me. What do you say?”

“Can’t,” Hanni said, barely glancing up from his tablet. “I got a date.”

“Tonight?” Will frowned and straitened. “I thought you were seeing her tomorrow.”

“I am, Dad,” Hanni said absently. “Tonight her dad is taking us to see the Orioles play. He’s picking me up soon. Didn’t I tell you?”

“No.”

“Oh, must have been Papa.”

“Right. I thought you didn’t like baseball,” Will said, surprised at how juvenile he sounded.

“I don’t dislike it,” Hanni shrugged as he glanced up. “I’m not really going for the game.”

“Keep in mind her father is going to be there so be respectful,” Will advised and turned to go.

After weeks of Olivia lying to her parents that they haven’t been seeing each other, they had decided to give him a second chance. He was not going to mess it up by being inappropriate in front of her father.

“Dad!”

Will turned back, not exactly hopeful but not far from it.

“Can I have twenty bucks for snacks?”

Will raised a brow and resisted an urge to groan. He had become a wallet and a driver. Nothing more.

“Get it from my wallet,” Will grumbled and went to find Hannibal.

***

“Call me your boy.” Will’s voice was barely audible as he collapsed into his husband’s lap and tucked his head against a broad shoulder.

“What’s this all about?” Hannibal asked softly, hand running through messy curls as his lips pressed against the other’s forehead.

“I’m feeling old,” Will admitted.

“And I can make you feel young?” Hannibal smiled.

“Yes, but only because you’re so very old.”

The hand in his hair twisted harshly, making him gasp and eyes instantly water. It also made his dick harden and his body grow pliant under the demanding grasp. Hannibal’s other hand snaked around his waist, pulling him even closer, allowing his fingers to dig into Will’s hip.

“Little boys should not be rude to their elders, not unless they’re looking to get punished,” Hannibal spoke directly into his ear, making Will’s breath catch.

“I can be good,” Will promised, and the hand instantly disappeared, coming back a moment later to soothe the sting and brush back the curls.

“So good,” Hannibal whispered before Will captured his mouth.

Will held the back of the doctor’s neck, taking control for a moment before giving it up and letting the other lead.

“Ah, can’t you guys wait for me to leave?” Hanni asked from the doorway where he was scrunching up his face and covering your eyes, while trying not to laugh. 

“You should knock,” Hannibal told him sternly.

“You should close the door,” Hanni fired back completely unapologetic.

Hannibal turned the stern look on Will, who in turn rolled his eyes and moved to sit on the doctor’s desk.

“What is it?” He asked.

“You only have fifties in your wallet,” Hanni said, and he was caught between a pout and badly hidden hopefulness.

Will glanced over at Hannibal who shook his head, not usually one to have small bills on him.

“Fine,” Will said, eyes narrowing on the teen. “But I want change.”

“Yes, Dad,” Hanni grinned and ran back to his room. His dad didn’t say how much he should bring back and probably wouldn’t even bother to ask for it.

Will slipped back into his lover’s lap, the playfulness gone, as he tucked his head under the other’s chin.

“I miss the brat.”

“Yes, which is why I’m grateful I still have you,” Hannibal said, leaning back and letting Will rest against him, his hand running up and down his husband’s back. “Would you like to go out tonight?”

“Very much,” Will nodded but otherwise didn’t move. Their boy was growing up and it was a bittersweet feeling that filled him as he watched his son start to build a life outside of the family.

***

Hanni was glad to see his papa as he left school. Or maybe he was just happy it wasn’t Daddy.

Under other circumstances he might have preferred the younger man because even though he tended to yell a lot more, it beat the disappointed frown Papa wore. Not that it would matter once the profiler got home, but at least he would have calmed down by then.

Getting detention really shouldn’t have been that big of a deal, but since this incident involved him goofing off in class with Olivia, he was sure it would just add to his father’s dislike of her. After the last fight he had been careful about what he told both man.

“Anything to say for yourself?” Hannibal asked when Hanni got into the car.

“I’m sorry,” Hanni said as he glanced over at his father.

“Is that all?”

“I won’t mess around in class anymore.” It failed to sound sincere to the older man.

“I spoke to Mr. Rickets as well as Couch Hill.” Hannibal didn’t miss how the teen winced. “Would you like to know what they had to say?”

“No,” Hanni shook his head. He had a pretty good idea of what they brought to his father’s attention.

His usual focus on the track field had suffered once Olivia had started showing up at practice and somehow she got priority when it came to homework as well. He always told himself that he was going to buckle down and do it, but then his phone would go off and he would leave his homework for later. His plans of doing it before class would be thwarted by her as well. It just all seemed to be less important than spending time with her.

“Maybe we have taken for granted that you are well behaved and don’t need to be constantly monitored. It seems things might have to change.” Hanni didn’t like the sound of that, wincing when he received that look he had been dreading. “If you insist on acting like an irresponsible child, we’ll be forced to treat you as such.”

Hanni squirmed uncomfortably. “I said I was sorry.”

“Be that as it may, I do not appreciate your behavior being brought to my attention in such ways,” Hannibal said. “It has become apparent that you need more supervision when it comes to your studies. I’ll be checking them nightly to make sure that they are being completed.”

“Are you going to sign them too?” Hanni asked, snorting as he remembered the required signature in first grade whenever homework was handed in.

“Do you find this amusing?” The little patience he still had left came through in the question.

“No, Papa,” Hanni muttered softly, aware that things could have gone worse.

“Good,” Hannibal nodded. “I wasn’t finished. There will be no phone until your father or I have had a chance to check the work.”

“What?” Hanni straightened up in his seat and glared at the graying man.

“Something seems to be distracting you from your studies.”

Hanni opened his mouth to argue but thought pleading would work better. “I know I screwed up but it won’t happen again!”

“Once I feel like a significant improvement has been made, you will regain your privileges as well as your freedom,” Hannibal said, almost gently. “Keep in mind you’re not losing your phone for the duration of the evening but only until your homework is complete.”

“What if you both are too busy to check it?” Hanni tried desperately to get his sentence reversed.

Hannibal turned a raised brow at the boy, and held out his hand. The teen sighed and handed over his phone.

They silently and mutually agreed the last statement would remain ignored.

***

“You should have grounded him,” Will said under his breath.

“Is it because you truly believes he deserves it or because you miss the boy?” Hannibal asked, leaning against fence as he watched his lover wrestle a stick away from Darcy.

Will shrugged and threw the stick towards the back of the yard, only to have it returned a few seconds later. “Maybe they need a break from each other,” he said. “She’s the one that keeps distracting him.”

“In this case, she is not the one to blame. They are teenagers, easily distracted, especially by the opposite sex,” he moved his hand dismissively, “when such things apply.”

“They also tend to feel everything…” he spread his hands in a helpless gesture and gave a defeated laugh when Harley grabbed the stick out his hand. “It’s raw for them, Hannibal. It can be too much.”

“But it is a part of growing up. He’ll be fine,” Hannibal reassured him as he came closer. “He is the best part of us after all.”

***

Hanni, like all teens, looked forward to the weekend but since he started spending it with Olivia, the time until they could be alone seemed to drag. This week they were going to hang out in the mall. There was an arcade there that he and his dad often went to. He had been careful not to waste his allowance so they could play for hours and get snacks. Comics could wait.

It was going to be great.

Then her friends showed up, planned apparently by Olivia herself without a word to him, and he was torn between disappointment and anger.

“Look what I got from my dad,” Jenna said as she pulled out a plastic bottle filled almost to the top with a clear liquid.

“Let’s get some juice,” Olivia said, squealing happily while she clapped her hands.

“Your dad gave that to you?” Hanni asked, smart enough to figure out it was alcohol.

“No,” she snorted. “He isn’t going to miss it, so who cares, right?”

Hanni only shrugged at that and followed his girlfriend to get the juice. They bought two bottles and split the vodka, spilling some of the cranberry juice out to make room for it.

“Oh, that’s strong,” Olivia’s face twisted in a cute way as she pushed the bottle into Hanni’s hand, spilling it onto his sleeve.

He chewed his lip, and she saw him hesitate.

“Don’t worry, it’s not that much,” she told him and scrunched up her face again because she knew he liked it. “It just tastes like crap.”

It did taste like crap. Hanni had been allowed to take sips of his Papa’s beer and wine since he was ten, and though the wine could be bitter, it never tasted as bad as this. He handed the bottle back, and watched her take a few more sips before closing it.

The little he had left him a little foggy, but it had done something completely different to the girls. They were much louder than they had ever been at school, pointing, laughing, and mocking people openly as they fell over each other. Hanni didn’t think they were actually drunk, probably slightly buzzed and by feeding off the group, it increased their confidence. He had the alcohol talk with Papa before every sleepover.

They were asked to leave a women’s lingerie store when the girls started a pantie fight around the clearance bin which was awkward for the teen but not as much as when they tried to convince him to try on a pair of high heels. He had been taught by his fathers not to put too much emphasis on what was consider appropriate for a gender (he would groan whenever he came across a picture of himself in a sparkly purple tutu that he insisted on wearing when he was three, but never made an attempt to destroy it) and if it wasn’t for the fact that they were drawing attention of everyone in the store, he probably would have played along. Since it seemed their goal was just to have a laugh at his expense, and probably take pictures, he declined the offer. Repeatedly, until they finally left the store.

After that, Hanni kept his distance, growing uncomfortable with the looks they were starting to get. He was ignored for the majority of the trip but there was no escape as they all sat down to eat together.

“I just don’t know what he sees in her,” Amber said as she made a gagging sound. “He’s like a nine and she might be a five but only from behind.”

“Ugly girls always put out,” Jenna stated as if imparting knowledge on the less fortunate.

“Yea, but what’s the point?” Olivia asked, nose wrinkled in disgust. “He can do so much better. How could he even get it up? Do they use a bag?”

“Guys will fuck anything that moves,” Amber remind her, making the only guy at the table roll his eyes. He heard this before and when he tried to argue, he was told he was weird and obviously not a real man. But it was all supposed to be cool because they were just kidding.

“Yea, I guess. We need a guy’s perspective,” Olivia said, and pulled on Hanni’s arm. “Why would a cute guy ever date such an ugly girl?”

Hanni glanced up at a few tables over to where there was a girl that looked a bit uncomfortable, and a guy glaring in their direction. The girls weren’t even trying to be discreet as they stole glances at the pair.

Hanni opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what he was supposed to say to them. He doubted they even cared, just wanted him to join in. If what they constantly said was true, boys only cared about sex and maybe sports which meant they had little to no time to think about anything else, rendering their opinions invalid on all topics. Unless he was agreeing with them, they wouldn’t want to hear it.

With a realization that this had been what his dad had warned him about, Hanni faced Olivia.

“Because,” Hanni said, and for once the volume of his voice matched theirs. “Some guys aren’t shallow pricks and might want a girl with a personality who doesn’t spend all her time bringing other people down to make herself feel better.”

“What is your problem?” Olivia asked as her face turned red. “Sometimes I feel like you don’t like me at all.”

Hanni felt a stab of guilt when he saw how hurt she looked, though it was quickly turning into anger. He looked down and shrugged. “Sometimes I don’t.”

***

Hannibal came to pick up the boy a lot earlier than he anticipated.

“What happened?” Hannibal asked, after taking one look at his son.

“I don’t want to talk about,” Hanni mumbled as he slumped in the passenger seat.

“Fine, we can talk about why you smell of cheap vodka instead.”

Hanni paled, eyes going wide as he turned to his father. Of course, his papa could smell it on him. His papa could smell a lie before Hanni ever got it out.

“It was just a sip, Papa, I swear,” He told him, with earnest. “Okay, maybe a gulp, but that was it! It wasn’t even good.”

“The taste of it should not be the deciding factor,” Hannibal said sternly.

“I know,” Hanni chewed on his bottom lip. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not pleased with the decisions you have been making lately,” Hannibal said with a soft sigh. His son was growing with increasing speed, and it left him feeling like time was running out for him and WIll to teach Hanni all he would need to know in order to be a better man than either of his fathers.

“I’m sorry,” Hanni said softly. It didn’t go unnoticed by him how often he had been saying those words lately. “I’ll do better.”

Hannibal looked at the boy as they stopped at a red light. It was obvious that there was more on the boy’s mind than just the alcohol, and the doctor decided against pushing the issue, at least for now. He knew as a teenager, there would be limits tested but he also knew his son, and could tell that wasn’t what happened today.

“I know,” Hannibal said, as he reached out to cup the back of the boy’s head and bring it close. Hanni didn’t shy away from the kiss, in fact, he felt calmed by it. “I trust you.”

“Am I in trouble?” Hanni asked, and his father barely hid a smile at the age old question.

“We can talk about it later,” Hannibal said. “I take it this was not why you left.”

Hanni shook his head and didn’t say anything for a long time.

“How did you know Daddy was the one?”

Hannibal glanced at the boy before he considered his answer. “When I realized that I could barely stand it when we were apart. It was…” Hannibal paused, started and stopped again before continuing. “It was not a feeling I was used to, nor the idea of sharing my life with someone, and then almost suddenly, it became the only possibility.” When he looked at the teen, it was warm and loving. “I knew it when I caught the scent of him in my house and found myself smiling.”

“Ew,” Hanni laughed and the doctor felt a bit of pride in being able to produce a smile. “He wasn’t your first was he?”

“No, he was not,” Hannibal said as he shot him a playfully dark look.

“When did you know that you liked …” Hanni blushed this time, unsure of why he was even asking, “that you like guys?”

“It was never a matter of gender,” Hannibal said softly, because that was the closest he would ever come to telling his son how little he cared for people outside of their family. “What’s this all about?”

Hanni didn’t reply, just shrugged a little as he looked out of the window. This time the silence lasted until they parked. When Hanni made no move to come out, neither did his father.

“Olivia and I broke up,” Hanni said softly.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hannibal said sincerely, not because of the loss but because of the pain he could see it caused his son. “Were you asking those things because you think you may love her?”

“I don’t know” Hanni shrugged. “I feel like shit, is that about right?”

“It doesn’t have to be love to hurt.”

Hanni sighed and rested his head against his father’s shoulder. They stayed there, in the car, until the boy was ready to get out.

***

“He’s not up for talking,” Will said with a sigh as he sat on the edge of his husband’s desk. “At least not with me.”

“They’ve only dated for a month,” Hannibal said, frustration clear in every word.

“They’re teenagers,” Will reminded him.

“I admit I am a bit at a loss at what to do.”

Will smiled sadly, as he watched his lover of over fifteen years try to understand their son’s pain. Even though he had been the one to talk about how their son would be strong when the situation arose, would be able to face it and handle it, seeing it now made the doctor want to take action. He could do it on the textbook level, walk a patient through it, but for his own boy he wanted to give him more. Will loved that about him.

“It’s only a little different than a scraped knee,” Will told him. “He needs time and a distraction.”

“I would be lost without you,” Hannibal smiled as he pulled Will into his lap. He was a few years short of sixty, but still in good enough shape, and more than strong enough to manipulate the younger man to his liking. Will laughed, but didn’t put up much of a fight as he was pulled into a kiss.

“If our baby boy isn’t feeling better by the end of next week, I’ll-“

“-do nothing.” Will interrupted softly, palm of his hand resting against the smooth cheek. “We don’t eat children.”

“We don’t have-”

“-we don’t kill children, Hannibal!” Will said, eyes narrowing this time.

“So be it,” Hannibal nodded, accepting the answer as reasonable and resumed the kiss that he had interrupted. Will put up a bit of resistance, upset by the man’s suggestions, but the familiar hands working their way under his shirt knew him too well and he slowly gave in. He could understand Hannibal too well after all. He had to fight back an urge to kill a few bullies in the last decade, and being a girl did not give Olivia a free pass.

***

“She didn’t call,” Hanni said as Will walked into his bedroom to tell him dinner was ready.

“Do you want her to?” Will asked as he came to stand by the boy.

“No,” the teen sighed, as he pulled his knees up under his chin. “I just wanted to….” He shrugged. “You must be happy about this.”

“I’m not and you know that, don’t you?” Will asked, upset and even a bit annoyed at the question.

Hanni glared at the older man for a moment before dropping his gaze with a defeated sigh. He wasn’t being fair and he knew it, so he just nodded without looking back up.

“Want to talk about what happened?”

Hanni shook his head.

“Do you think you two can work it out?” l

“Maybe? I don’t know.” He shrugged again. “I don’t think so. I liked her a lot,” Hanni glanced up at him from his place on the bed, eyes just barely holding back tears. “She was so different when it was just us… or maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention.”

“Everyone acts a bit different when they’re surrounded by different people.”

“How do you know when it’s the real them and not just an act?”

Will sighed and sat next to the boy, he put an arm around the teen and pulled him close. “It’s something you learn with time. I used to think that about Papa. Do you know what one of the first things I ever said to him was?”

Hanni shook his head, and tilted it up to watch his dad as he spoke. He liked hearing stories about the two of them.

“I told him I didn’t find him interesting,” Will said with a smile and was pleased when his son snickered. “Your papa can come off as very cold, in a very professional way, and a bit distant, but we know better, don’t we?”

Hanni nodded. “How did you know he was the one?”

Will took a deep breath, hand tightening around the boy. “Because no matter what he did, I only ever loved him more.”

“What did Papa do?” Hanni asked, unable to stop himself from frowning.

“It’s what Papa is going to do to the two of you if you’re not both ready for dinner in the next three minutes,” Hannibal said from the doorway, clearly not pleased.

Hanni laughed and ran to wash up, and Will quickly followed.

***

Hanni was shocked and pleased when dinner was set up in the backyard. Papa had made his favorites. A grilled cheese sandwich that was actually made on the grill with some chilli. The cheeses and spices were melted together over the coals on foil wrapped spatulas that were turned into trays. Hannibal had started making the dish for a pregnant Will and soon it became a favorite in the household. The doctor would eat it, if not actually enjoy it, to make his boys happy.

“Are you trying to cheer me up?” Hanni asked as he took a seat behind the patio table, grateful to be out in the cool Fall air.

“Yes,” Hannibal said with a single nod, seeing no reason to deny it. “Is it working?”

“What’s for dessert?”

“Caramel apple tart,” Hannibal told with a smile and wink. “But not until you finish your dinner.”

Hanni grinned as he started to eat, his good mood lasting only until his phone went off. It wasn’t Olivia, but the fact that it wasn’t reminded him that it may never be her again.

“They were doing it again,” Hanni told his parents softly. “They were making fun of some girl because they thought her boyfriend was too hot for her.”

“Seems like they pick on girls a lot,” Will pointed out.

“Probably because they think guys are too stupid to be picked on,” Hanni said, as he thought about the boy bashing sessions he had sat in on when one of Olivia's friends was having a fight with her significant other.

“Are you worried about what she might say about you after this?” Will asked, his own worry betrayed in his voice and Hannibal’s in his glance.

“I’m a child of a male conception, living with two fathers,” Hanni said with an amused snort. “What can she possibly say that hasn’t been said before?”

“Has anyone been giving you a hard time?”

“Nah,” Hanni shook his head, taking a bite and chewing for a bit. “Not since Papa took down Craig’s dad in the parking lot. I don-”

“What?” Will interrupted, louder than he had meant to.

Hanni swallowed loudly and looked over at his papa, who seemed a bit preoccupied with his own meal.

“It was when I got into that fight in the beginning of the year….” Hanni glanced over at the older man. “You should have told me if you wanted me to keep my mouth shut.”

“I wanted no such thing,” Hannibal said with as much dignity as he could muster. “It must have slipped my mind, Will. I’m almost sure I did tell you.”

“Cut the crap, Hannibal.” Will shook his head, unsure if he was supposed to be upset or amused. Watching the way the doctor squirmed uncomfortably made it hard for him to be mad. “What happened?”

“Oh, Daddy it was epic!”

“It was hardly anything of the sort,” Hannibal huffed.

“Hush, I want to hear what happened,” Will told his husband, making their son laugh.

“Yeah, Papa, you had your chance to tell him,” Hanni grinned at the scowl he got. “We aren’t supposed to have secrets from each other, remember?”

“It slipped my mind,” Hannibal said, almost through gritted teeth, his voice stern but eyes clearly amused at how happy the boy looked.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Will told him before turning back to the teen. “Well?”

“Do I get a ‘get out of jail free’ card if I plead the fifth?” Hanni asked Papa.

“Yes,” Hannibal nodded the same time Will shook his head.

“The fifth only works if you’re incriminating yourself. Is that what you’re doing?”

“Is there anything criminal about watching an epic beat down?”

“He’s exaggerating!” Hannibal quickly cut in. “I call for the case to be dismissed on the grounds that the boy obviously does not understand what the term epic means and therefore cannot be trusted to relay what really happened without exaggeration.”

“Overruled,” Will said, slamming the palm of his hand on the table like a gavel. “Hanni, you have the floor.”

Hanni had to catch his breath before he could start. One look from Papa and it set him off again. Holding his aching sides, he leaned back in his chair, and tried to stop laughing. 

It wasn’t enough to take away all the pain, but it was a good start, a great distraction and a reminder of all that he had. Between the two men he was never at a shortage hen it came to understanding, comfort, and the best grilled cheese in the world.

And the two men got to keep their little boy for just a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might end up writing what happened with Craig and his dad - once I'm a bit more caught up on prompts. 
> 
> Alton Brown's Grilled Grilled Cheese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllWJUvrxEY

**Author's Note:**

> Hanni-verse has over 100 bookmarks and I can't thank you enough guys. You make me feel all special on a rotten day. One day I'll clean up some of the older stories so they're easier to read. 
> 
> As for this chapter, more soon.


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